Steep traces an odyssey from a gritty Boston neighborhood to a neurosurgical practice in Middle America. It’s more about the price of success than the weight of bigotry – a story of resilience and self-discovery that will resonate with anyone who has wrestled with their past as they chased the American Dream. (PR by the Book, 2026)
The word “steep” has two meanings: the adjective that conjures a precipitous climb—or descent—but also the verb that connotes a ripening or maturing over time. Both definitions are evident in Yorke’s story, one that will resonate with anyone who’s run from their past, and anyone whose world feels too small.
“Written with the deftness of a brain surgeon and the ear of a concert violinist, Steep is the unforgettably moving story of one man’s life and times. But it is also a wise and courageous commentary on our time.”
— Cyrus Console-Soican, Ph.D., Professor of Liberal Arts, Kansas City Art Institute
About the Author
Dr. Craig Yorke was born in Roxbury, Massachusetts. He received a BA from Harvard College in 1970 and an MD from Harvard Medical School in 1974. His parental directive insisted he avenge centuries of bigotry with a life of infinite success.
After a neurosurgical residency at the University of California at San Francisco, he and his wife Mary found their way to an unlikely destination. He practiced in Topeka, Kansas, for 25 years, wrestling with his history and the armored identity it had imposed.
He’s a credible violinist, having played the Bruch G Minor concerto with the Boston Pops at age 17, and hits tennis balls with passion. Steep is his first book.
For fans of A Man Called Ove, Shelby Van Pelt’s debut novel is a charming, witty, and compulsively readable exploration of friendship, reckoning, and hope. This heartwarming story traces a widow’s unlikely connection with a giant Pacific octopus, and it is finally making its way to the silver screen.
🎬 The Netflix Adaptation
The beloved novel has been adapted into a Netflix original movie featuring a powerhouse cast and creative team:
Starring: Sally Field as Tova and Alfred Molina as the voice of Marcellus.
Director/Co-Writer: Olivia Newman.
Release Date: May 8, 2026.
📖 Book Overview: A Tale of Eight Arms and One Big Secret
After Tova Sullivan’s husband passed away, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium. Keeping busy has always been Tova’s way of coping, ever since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago. (Barnes & Noble, 2026)
While mopping floors and tidying up, Tova becomes acquainted with Marcellus, a curmudgeonly giant Pacific octopus. Marcellus is more observant than anyone can imagine, but he wouldn’t dream of helping his human captors, until he forms a remarkable bond with Tova.
Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces exactly what happened the night Tova’s son disappeared. Now, he must use every trick his aging invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it’s too late. It is a gentle reminder that taking a hard look at the past can help uncover a future that once felt impossible.
📽️ Movie Snapshot
The film captures the essence of the novel, focusing on the life-changing discovery Tova makes through the unlikely bonds formed during her quiet night shifts. (IMDb, 2026)
Feature
Details
Genre
Drama
Rating
PG-13 (Thematic material, strong language, brief drug use)
Runtime
1hr 51min
“Sometimes taking a hard look at the past can help uncover a future that once felt impossible.”
In the year 2046, the “blueprint” for authoritarian rule is no longer theoretical, it’s fully operational. Ashes of the Republic presents a chilling vision of a United States overtaken by Christian Nationalism. In this near-future dystopia, liberalism is a punishable offense, women’s bodies are governed by data, and AI has replaced human medical professionals.
The Catalyst (2026)
The narrative begins in the Western U.S. with Charity, a young prodigy with degrees from Oxford and Johns Hopkins. As a rising star at Dennison Robotics, Charity works closely with Iwanna Dennison, the President’s daughter and the de facto leader of the American Christian Right.
When a project meeting turns into a heated disagreement, Charity is fired. Realizing she is now a target of the burgeoning regime, she turns to her estranged, wealthy father. He helps her “vanish,” providing her with a new identity and they are only to contact each other once a year, on her birthday.
The Consequence (2046)
Twenty years later, Charity is gone, replaced by Lily Osbourne. Living a quiet, anonymous life in Colorado, Lily is dating Jeff Maslow, a former teacher who lost his job after a copy of Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass was discovered during a routine body search.
Their fragile peace is shattered during a routine airport screening. A TSA agent informs Lily that she is pregnant, an unregistered state that is strictly controlled by the Republic. In this world:
All pregnancies are flagged immediately.
Fetuses are issued Social Security numbers at conception.
The state is notified of “unauthorized” biological activity.
As Lily and Jeff fight for survival, Iwanna Dennison continues her psychotic climb to the highest reaches of power.
Why This Novel Stings
James Chesterton’s writing feels less like speculative fiction and more like an inevitability unfolding in slow motion. The grounded realism makes it a stand out in modern literature.
Key Themes & Highlights:
Plausible Terror: The systems of control, AI-driven healthcare, reproductive tracking, and algorithmic governance, are presented as logical extensions of technology we use today.
The Reversal of the American Dream: In a haunting role reversal, the novel depicts people fleeing from the United States into Canada.
Relatable Stakes: While the political themes are heavy, the emotional base remains the relationship between Lily and Jeff, two people trying to maintain their humanity in a system designed to strip it away.
Final Verdict
Ashes of the Republic is a stark reflection of the present pushed to its logical extreme. Chesterton excels at grounding high-concept political thriller elements in vivid, descriptive prose.
“The sun’s oppressive presence in the sky had retreated to a warm and more docile position just beneath the horizon.”
Recommended for: Fans of The Handmaid’s Tale, political thrillers, and speculative fiction that isn’t afraid to be provocative.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5) A solid, unsettling start to the Ascent of Dennison Series.
“There was nothing to be said. Lily and Jeff held hands, staring out the window at the swarms of broken people everywhere. At night, they were frightening. In the day, they were heartbreaking.”
*Thank you to Meryl Moss Media and NetGalley for the Advance Reader Copy (ARC) for review consideration. I haven’t been compensated for this review and all views and opinions expressed are my own.
‘Black Swan Impact’ is the first book in the Black Swan Series by Helen Hynson Vettori. Photo: Barnes & Noble
Author Spotlight: Helen Hynson Vettori and the Black Swan Thriller Series
From the front lines of emergency response to the high-stakes world of national security, Helen Hynson Vettori has spent her career navigating crises. After serving the National Capital Region as an EMT/Paramedic, she transitioned post-9/11 into a role as a senior medical intelligence analyst for the Department of Homeland Security. (Grace Taylor PR, 2026)
Specializing in biological incident planning and pandemic preparedness, Helen’s expertise earned her Employee of the Year honors for emergency management. Following her retirement, her reflections on the global response to COVID-19 inspired her to pick up the pen and explore the concept of “black swan” events through fiction.
Book Series Spotlight: The Black Swan Thrillers
The Black Swan trilogy blends scientific realism with political tension, exploring how humanity handles the unthinkable. While part of a trilogy, each of these books is designed to be read as a standalone story.
Set in the year 2113, the world has finally recovered from the scars of World War III. Scientific progress is booming, and the future looks bright, until a deadly pandemic emerges to threaten the global population.
Dr. Syia Case, Director of Epidemiology at the NIH, is called to advise President Daniel Piper and the White House Crisis Action Team. As the virus spreads, Syia realizes that the biological threat isn’t the only thing she has to fight. With questionable political maneuvers steering the country into dangerous territory, she must navigate a landscape of ignored warnings and unprepared leadership.
The second installment follows Marla Case, an elite athlete who walks away from her Olympic dreams to find a new purpose. After learning the ropes from a paramedic friend, Marla joins her mother on an academic tour that takes a terrifying turn when a massive earthquake strikes.
Using her physical prowess and newfound medical knowledge, Marla becomes a lifeline for the people of St. Louis, Missouri. However, amidst the chaos of the disaster, she must face a personal tragedy that tests her resilience.
3. Black Swan Terror
The gripping conclusion to the trilogy—coming soon!
Why You Should Read It: With vivid, visceral descriptions and a narrative grounded in firsthand expertise, Vettori’s work is a thought-provoking look at the consequences of being caught unprepared.
Imperfect Women the series is streaming on Apple TV. Photo: Barnes & Noble
Book to Screen: Imperfect Women by Araminta Hall
The transition from page to screen can be complicated, but when the source material is as haunting as Araminta Hall’s Imperfect Women, the results are bound to be electric. Now adapted into an eight-episode limited series on Apple TV+, this psychological thriller is a must-watch for fans of complex female leads and dark, domestic secrets.
Book Overview
When Nancy Hennessy is murdered, she leaves behind a shattered life and a trail of questions. From the outside, Nancy had it all: she was gorgeous, wealthy, and cherished by her husband and daughter. But she also took the identity of a secret lover to her grave.
As the investigation into her death flounders, her two best friends, Eleanor and Mary, find themselves drowning in grief and the realization that they might not have known Nancy, or each other, at all.
The Hook: A gripping exploration of impossible expectations and the lethal nature of long-held secrets.
The Structure: The story unfolds through the perspectives of three fascinating women, forcing the reader to untangle their complex friendship to answer the ultimate question: Who killed Nancy?
The Vibe: Wickedly sharp and suspenseful, drawing comparisons to the likes of Patricia Highsmith and Paula Hawkins.
Imperfect Women explores guilt and retribution, love and betrayal, and the compromises we make that alter our lives irrevocably. (Barnes & Noble, 2026)
From Page to Screen: The Series
The Apple TV+ adaptation brings the “wickedly sharp” insights of the novel to life in a high-stakes limited series. The show dives deep into the decades-long friendship at the heart of the crime, peeling back the layers of a murder investigation that exposes the dark underbelly of a “perfect” life.
The Star-Studded Cast
The series boasts an incredible lineup of heavy hitters:
Actor
Character
Kerry Washington
Eleanor
Elisabeth Moss
Mary
Kate Mara
Nancy
Joel Kinnaman
Robert
Corey Stoll
Howard (Mary’s husband)
Photo: IMDb
About the Author
Araminta Hallis no stranger to the dark side of fiction. She holds an MA in creative writing and authorship from the University of Sussex and currently teaches creative writing at New Writing South in Brighton.
Hall is also the acclaimed author of Our Kind of Cruelty, which was named a best book of 2018 by CrimeReads and Real Simple. She lives in Brighton with her husband and three children.
Are you planning to read the book first, or will you be diving straight into the Apple TV+ series?
‘Ashes of the Republic’ is the forthcoming new speculative thriller by James Chesterton. Photo: Amazon
New Book Spotlight: Ashes of the Republic
A Dark Speculative Thriller by James Chesterton
In James Chesterton’s dark and thrilling futuristic satire, Ashes of the Republic, the year is 2046 and Christian Nationalism has fully consolidated power. Evidence of liberalism is subject to punishment, women’s bodies are governed by data, medical professionals have been replaced with AI, and the blueprint for authoritarian rule is no longer theoretical, it’s fully operational. It will be released on April 28 and is available for pre-order. (Meryl Moss Media, 2026)
The Plot: A Fragile Invisibility Shattered
At the center of the story is Lily Osbourne, a gifted technologist who once helped build the very systems that now govern daily life. After crossing her employer, Dennison Robotics CEO Iwanna Dennison, Lily is cast out of power and retreats into quiet anonymity.
That fragile invisibility shatters during a routine airport screening when a TSA agent informs her that she is pregnant, a state strictly controlled by the government.
In the Republic, all unregistered pregnancies are flagged. The fetus is issued a Social Security number immediately. The state is notified, and the body is no longer one’s own.
Lily and her boyfriend, Jeff Maslow, a former professor once arrested for the “crime” of reading Walt Whitman, must find a way to survive. Meanwhile, Iwanna Dennison claws her way to the highest reaches of power, driven by a psychotic and relentless ambition.
Where Fiction Meets Reality
Deeply rooted in current events, Ashes of the Republic draws from real-world debates surrounding:
Reproductive surveillance and the erosion of privacy.
The fusion of religion and state power.
The role of AI and data in modern governance.
Policies and ideas that felt speculative during the novel’s early drafts have since emerged as real-world court rulings, legislative proposals, and political platforms. This isn’t distant dystopia; it is a “near-now” reality where the mechanisms of control already exist, waiting only for the removal of institutional limits.
Key Themes of the Republic
Theocratic Surveillance: The United States has transitioned into a state governed by religious authority and high-tech monitoring.
Performative Democracy: Elections still happen, but they no longer carry the weight of choice.
Criminalized Dissent: Opposing the status quo is a high-stakes legal risk.
Bureaucratized Freedom: Personal liberty is slowly being filed away by administrative systems and unchallenged executive power.
This isn’t your parents’ sci-fi. The tone is controlled, unsentimental, and wickedly funny, a fast-paced thrill ride full of twists and turns.
Ashes of the Republic is the first installment in the Ascent of Dennison series. These gripping political thrillers ask a terrifying question: What happens when legal, cultural, and moral guardrails are deliberately dismantled by leaders who believe themselves divinely justified and technologically unaccountable?
About the Author: James Chesterton
James Chesterton is the author of Ashes of the Republic and Holding Patterns, a financial crime thriller inspired by his 30 years in the banking industry.
A graduate of Hunter College, he began his career teaching high school English before earning an MBA from the University of Connecticut and transitioning into corporate banking. Chesterton’s work confronts the real-world consequences of power exercised at the highest levels.
From the acclaimed author of Confessions of the Fox comes a novel that feels like an unauthorized memoir dictated in a fever dream. Set in a cluttered, rent-controlled Manhattan apartment, Barbara Rosenberg is terminally ill, high on opioids, and utterly unrepentant. Night Night Fawn will be released on Tuesday March 3, 2026 and available for pre-order. (Broadside PR, 2026)
As she writes the story of her life, she spares no one, least of all herself. Her narrative skips between memories of a smutty late husband, a career with a disreputable plastic surgeon, and her “glory days” of jazzercise, all while she grapples with unhinged thoughts on gender, Karl Marx, and Zionism.
At the heart of her delirium are two haunting disappointments:
An estranged trans son.
A long-lost best friend whose betrayal still lingers.
Review: A Reckoning in Real-Time
Written in a sharp first-person POV, Night Night Fawn forces readers to confront the jagged edges of intergenerational conflict. Barbara’s voice pivots effortlessly between gutter humor and piercing self-awareness. Rosenberg provides an unfiltered portrait of a mother who cannot love cleanly, apologize easily, or die quietly. Themes explored include identity, colonialism, sexuality, and gender.
The prose is vivid and descriptive, turning even the mundane into something cinematic:
“In my daughter’s bedroom the traffic along Second Avenue cast stripes of light through the blinds; they floated across the ceiling like empty frames of film reel ticking off after a show.”
The narrative structure is nonlinear, mirroring Barbara’s descent into illness. It’s a bold exploration of the stories we tell ourselves when time is running out. While the novel is provocative and often uncomfortable, it remains a fiercely intelligent reminder of our shared, messy humanity.
Recommended for: Fans of family life fiction and unconventional memoirs who appreciate raw, “unfiltered” storytelling.
Key Quotes
“As I started down the ramp of sleep, I could feel my mind begin to unravel, like a piece of knitting being pulled out to correct a slipped stitch.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
About the Author
Jordy Rosenberg is the author of Confessions of the Fox, a New York Times Editors’ Choice selection and finalist for numerous prestigious awards, including the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize and the Lambda Literary Award.
A recipient of support from the MacDowell and Lannan Foundations, Rosenberg currently serves as a professor in the Department of English and MFA Faculty at UMass-Amherst.
*Thank you to Broadspire PR/NetGalley for the gifted ARC for review consideration. I haven’t been compensated for this review and all views and opinions expressed are my own.
Book Review: Piper at the Gates of Dusk by Patrick Ness
In Piper at the Gates of Dusk, Patrick Ness returns to the beautiful and brutal landscape of New World, the setting first introduced in the Chaos Walking trilogy (The Knife of Never Letting Go). This continuation feels urgent and intimate, bridging the gap between a scarred past and an uncertain future. It will be released on April 7, 2026.
A New Generation in a Fragile Peace
Set twenty years after the original trilogy, the story follows Todd and Viola’s sons, Ben and Max. Having grown up untouched by the violence that shaped their parents, the brothers now navigate a peace that feels increasingly thin.
The novel opens with a heart-pounding sequence: a figure the boys call a “god” emerges from the woods, leveling trees in its path. Ness’ prose captures the sheer scale of the terror:
“Like a mountain coming at you, like the whole landscape peeling up into the sky, as if someone’s grabbed the far corners of it like a blanket and pulled it into the air, and all you can do is watch your death come at you, because there’s nowhere to stand, nowhere to run–.”
While they survive the encounter, Ben is left injured, forcing Max to leave his side to find help, setting the emotional and narrative stakes early.
The Evolution of “Noise”
For those new to this world, Noise is the telepathic broadcast of thoughts. When settlers first arrived, men’s thoughts became public, while women’s remained private. While a “cure” was eventually developed, it came with side effects. For Ben, it affected his vocal cords; unable to speak, he relies on a communication device and sign language.
Now, a new threat is emerging:
Nightmares: Young people are experiencing terrors believed to be brought on by Noise.
Paranoia: As suspicion falls on indigenous people and rumors of an ominous object in the sky swirl, the adults’ fragile truce threatens to unravel.
The Weight of Legacy
The story is told through dual first-person perspectives, offering a poignant look at what it means to inherit a hero’s history. Ben carries Viola’s analytical strength and navigates the world through logic and sign language while Max inherits Todd’s impulsive bravery and is driven by action and the need to protect this brother.
Ness’ vivid language propels the action:
“The scream comes again, louder this time, like a siren blaring right in your face but filled with terror and pain.”
Themes: Fear as a Weapon
When children begin to vanish, the “uneasy truce” of New World collapses. Ness uses Noise as a brilliant and painful metaphor for the modern mental health crisis and the corrosive power of internalized fear.
In this new saga, Noise becomes a targeted psychological weapon used to create chaos and spread propaganda. It is a haunting examination of how quickly communities turn on one another when fear is weaponized.
Final Thoughts
Overall, Piper at the Gates of Dusk is a gripping and atmospheric science fiction novel. It explores whether the stories we tell ourselves are meant to protect us or if they are the very things keeping us in the dark. Epic and deeply personal, it stands confidently on its own while honoring the emotional legacy of the original trilogy.
Recommended for readers who enjoy:
Thought-provoking discussions on xenophobia and disinformation.
Imaginative world-building and sci-fi landscapes.
Nuanced explorations of gender identity and family legacy.
“They want the comforting lie, the one that lets them sleep at night. They want to know who their enemy is, because they’re never, ever going to believe it’s themselves.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
*Thank you to Sara DiSalvo for the gifted ARC for review consideration. I haven’t been compensated for this review and all views and opinions expressed are my own.
The king of dystopian YA books is back with ‘Piper at the Gates of Dusk.’ Photo: Barnes & Noble
Return to the Noise: Patrick Ness Reinvents the Chaos Walking Universe
Patrick Ness is making a thrilling return to the world of Chaos Walking with his highly anticipated new YA novel, Piper at the Gates of Dusk.(Candlewick Press, 2026)
As the first installment in the extraordinary New World trilogy, this is a timely work of science fiction that dissects the interplay of fear, power, and propaganda. Whether you’re a longtime fan of the original series or a newcomer to Ness’s visceral storytelling, this book is set to be a definitive literary event of the year.
Mark Your Calendars: The release date is Tuesday, April 7, 2026, and it is available for pre-order now.
Book Overview: A New Generation, A New Threat
It has been twenty years since the monstrous war that nearly tore New World apart. For Todd and Viola’s sons, Ben and Max, life on the family farm has been defined by peace and the typical dreams of school and adventure, until the nightmares began.
A sudden sickness is sweeping through the youth of New World. It infects them with Noise, manifesting as their darkest, most self-destructive thoughts. As the planet’s uneasy truce begins to crumble, the mystery deepens:
The Spackle: Suspicion falls on the indigenous people of New World.
The Sky: A mysterious object looms overhead, watching the planet.
The Disappearances: One by one, the children of New World are vanishing.
Caught in a race for answers, Ben (armed with his mother’s logic) and Max (carrying his father’s courage) embark on separate quests. Their journeys will force them to question everything—their parents, their brotherhood, and their very right to exist on this planet.
About the Author: Patrick Ness
Patrick Ness is a titan of dystopian fiction. His original Chaos Walking trilogy has sold over three million copies worldwide, cementing his reputation for high-stakes, emotional storytelling.
Ness is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller A Monster Calls (inspired by an idea from Siobhan Dowd), which won both the Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals and was adapted into a major motion picture. His diverse body of work includes:
More Than This
The Rest of Us Just Live Here
Burn
Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
With two Carnegie Medals, an Olivier Award, and a Costa Children’s Book Award to his name, Ness continues to push the boundaries of YA literature from his homes in Los Angeles and London.
In Mattering: The Secret to a Life of Deep Connection and Purpose, Jennifer Wallace delivers a profound and timely wake-up call. She argues that today’s mental health crisis isn’t simply the result of digital burnout or political strife, but a symptom of something deeper: what she calls an “erosion of mattering.”
Drawing on psychology, sociology, and real-world stories, Wallace makes a compelling case that mattering—knowing we are valued and that our contributions have meaning—is not a luxury. It is a basic human need, as essential as food or water. When that need goes unmet, the consequences ripple outward, fueling anxiety, depression, loneliness, and social fragmentation.
What’s Inside the Book
Wallace explores mattering through a series of thoughtful, accessible chapters, including:
Connect to Your Impact
The Good Kind of Weight
Mattering Too Much
Everyone Needs (to Be) a Cornerman
Tuning In
When the Rug Gets Pulled: Coping with Life’s Transitions
How We Spend Our Days: Mattering at Work
Be an Architect: Mattering Spaces
Key Highlights
Chapter 2: The Good Kind of Weight
This chapter focuses on using our strengths to meet the needs around us. Wallace emphasizes the importance of asking, rather than assuming, what others need. As she writes, “To add value, find a need in the world and apply your strengths.” Sometimes, mattering starts with the simple but courageous question: “What can I do to help?”
Chapter 3: Mattering Too Much
While feeling needed is essential, Wallace warns against imbalance. When we prioritize others at the expense of ourselves, the weight of responsibility can become crushing. “By treating yourself as a priority,” she notes, “you also create space for the relationships in your life to become more authentic.”
The Mattering Core
The focus is Wallace’s “mattering core,” a framework built on four essential pillars:
Recognition: Seeing and acknowledging your own impact
Reliance: Being needed by others—in healthy balance
Prioritization: Feeling like a priority to those who matter most
Investment: Being truly known and supported
Through stories of grieving individuals, exhausted caregivers, and everyday people quietly struggling, Wallace shows how the absence of mattering can dismantle one’s sense of self.
Final Thoughts
Warm, humane, and deeply practical, Mattering doesn’t just diagnose a societal ill, it offers a roadmap forward. Wallace shows how small, intentional acts of recognition and care can rebuild connection in families, schools, workplaces, and communities.
Clear-eyed yet hopeful, Mattering challenges readers to rethink success, connection, and what it truly means to live well, together. It’s a must-read for anyone feeling lost in the shuffle of modern life.
“We live in a time marked by division across politics, race, gender, and class. But gaps don’t close through argument. They narrow from feeling heard or being seen.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
*Thank you to Angela Baggetta Communications for the gifted copy for review consideration. I haven’t been compensated for this review and all views and opinions expressed are my own.
SA Examiner 